Otitis Externa Share this page

Otitis externa, also known as swimmer's ear, is an inflammation of the ear canal. It often presents with ear pain, swelling of the ear canal, and occasionally decreased hearing. Typically there is pain with movement of the outer ear. A high fever is typically not present except in severe cases. Otitis externa affects 1-3% of people a year with more than 95% of cases being acute. About 10% of people are affected at some point in their life. It occurs most commonly among children between the ages of seven and twelve and among the elderly. It occurs with near equal frequency in males and females. Those who live in warm and wet climates are more often affected